Humidifying device



May 14,' 1929. A. EcuREux HUMIDIFYING DEVICE Filed Jan. l2. 1928 Patented May 14, 1929.

UNITEDl STATES ANTOINE ECUBEUX, OF LYON, FRANCE.

HUMIDIFYING DEVICE.

Application led January 12, 1928, Serial No. 246,257, and in France January 25, 1927.

The present invention has for its obect an apparatus for feeding water, cooling iquids or anti-detonating liquids in an appropriate and automatic manner to the gaseous mi'xture used in internal combustion engines.

This device properly applied to an internal combustion engine allows of injecting into the gaseous mixture used by the engine, water, or a cooling liquid, or an anti-detonating liquid so as to obtain a practically constant relationship between the weight of the gaseous mixture and the weight of the injected liquid contained in the cylinder at the end of the admission period at all rates of speeds of the engine, that is toisay, at all speeds of rotation normally obtained at each of the possible positions of the throttle valve usually arranged in the admission conduit of the engine.

The annexed drawing diagrammatically illustrates the apparatus in combination with an internal combustion engine. The en ine 1 is seen from the end and comprises our four-stroke cylinders, a crankshaft ofthe ordinary type and. regulated inlet valves, with a single inlet 2 for admitting the gases provided with the usual throttle valve 3,

the gaseous mixture being supplied by they usual means not shown on the drawing..

The turbine of the centrifugal pump 4 is rotated by means of an endless chain 5 or by gear wheels or other equivalent means, driven from the crank-shaft 6 of the engine. A pipe 7 forms a communication between the outlet orifice and the inlet orifice of the centrifugal pump, thus forming with theV pump an endless circuit.

VThe water or liquid to be fed tov the internal combustion engine is kept at a constant level 8 in a tank 9 by any known means and fills the whole of the foresaid circuit by means of a pipe 10 which is connected to the pipe 7 as near as possible to the inlet of the centrifugal pump.

A pipe 11 is soldered to the pipe 7 at preferably Vthe highest point of the latter, this pipe 11 having at its upper end a nozzle 12 the outlet orifice of which is on the same level as the constant` level 8. The jet of water issuing from the nozzle 12 isdirected into the intake pipe of the engine. The pressure prevailing at the out-let orifice o the said nozzle is the same as the pressure on the constant level 8 in the Vt-ank 9. In order to obtain this equality of pressure any known means can be used; for instance as shown in thev drawing, the jet of water enters into the admission conduit 24 of the engine through a tube of small diameter slightlyV removed from the orifice of the nozzle 12 consequently atmospheric pressure prevails both on the constant level of the water in the tank and on the outlet orifice of the nozzle'12. e l

The delivery of the water from the nozzle 12 is practically therefore only due to the effect of the centrifugal force created, by the rotation of the centrifugal .pump driven by the engine.

All Vthe pipe circuits in the apparatus are situated below the constant level 8 so that they are always filled with water.

'0n the pipe 7, between the outlet of the Y centrifugal pump and the pipe 11, an automatic sliding-valve is arran ed said valve being for example construct in the following manner: a lpiston'13 of diameter greater than the diameter of the pipe 7 asses through the said pipe and can slide ongitudinally in a cylinder 14; this piston is provided with an orifice or port 15 of suitable shape `which by the movements of the piston 13 can more or less obstruct the passage of the water circulating in the pipe 7. The shape and size of the orifice 15, 1s determined by trial or experiments; in the present case owing to the constancy of the rate of water supply the shape of the orifice is such that the size of the decreased as t e` speed of rotation of the engine increases; (the shape of the orifice depends on the law adopted for the su ply). The sliding of the movable piston is e ected by pressure created by the water in the followlng manner one end of the cylinder 14 forms a closed chamber with which a pipe 16 and a pipe 17 are connected, the ipe 16 is connected to the pipe 7 and in the favourable'direction, adjacent the outlet of the centrifugal pump; the pipe 17 is connected to pipe 7 adjacent the mlet of the centrifugal pump. The rotation of the centrifugal pump driven by the engine therefore creates in the said chamber and consequently on the corresponding end of the piston a hydraulic pressure. The other end of the cylinder 14 also comprises a closed chamber with which a 1 e 18 is in communication, the other end of said plpe b`eingconnected to the inlet of the centrifugal pump. When the motor is assage for the water willbe stopped the centrifugal pump does not rotate and themovable piston is in hydraulic equilibrium.l lIn the closed chamber with which the pipe 18 is connected, a spring' 19 serves to counterbalance the hydraulic pressure created on the other end of the piston.

On the pipe-16 is arranged the valve 20, the plug of which has an orifice ot suitable shape determined by experiment, the plug of this-.valve 20 is connected with the plug of the valve 3, arranged on the inlet pipe ot the explosion motor, by means et a rod 2l or the like connecting `device in such .a way that theminiinum opening of the valve 2O corresponds to the maximum opening 'ot the vvalve 3 and that inversely the minimum opening of the valve 3 'corresponds to the maximum opening oi the valve 20. To each vdel'inite position of the plug of valve 3 (which position is comprised between the maximum opening and the minimum opening) corresponds a deiinite posit-ion ot the plug of valve 20 which allows the piston 13 to slide so as tol maintain the rate of supply adopted in a practically perfectV way Y for the whole range o fengine speeds normally obtainable withv the respective positions ofthe inlet valve.

A cock 22 is inserted between the connection of the pipe 11 to the pipe 7 and the nozzle 12 inrorder to allow of obtaining a particular constant rate of supply for each definite position of saidcock. Y Y

The various members of the device can have shapes lmost suitable to their function,

the drawing being essentially diagrammatic. It is expressly specified that the pump 4 must be a. centrifugal pump, this is essential for obtaining the results herein indicated. y

It is understood that although I have re- Vferred to waterV as the cooling liquid` any other cooling liquid may be made `use of or any anti-detonant liquid or in a general fashion any liquid increasing the rate of compression. f

What I claim as my invention and desire to'secure by Letters Patent of the United States is l. Apparatus for humidiiying the charge passing to internal combustion engines comprising a centrifugal pump, a pipe forming anv endless conduiti with said pump, means actuated by the engine Afor driving said centrifugal pump, a branch pipe connected to said conduit, a nozzle at thev tree end of saidbianch pipe adapted to feed a jet ot water into the admission conduit of the engine, means for maintaining said endless conduit and said branch pipe filled with the water, means governing in said endless conduit the flow of water produced by said centrifugal pump, a throttle valve on said engine admission conduit, a valve operating to regulate said governing means, and a con-V passing to internal combustion engines coinprising a pump casing a centrifugal pumping elementwithin said casing, a pipe forming an endless conduit with said pump casing means actuated vby the engine for driving said centrifugal pumping element, a

branch pipe connected to said conduit, a

nozzleat the `tree end of said branch pipe adapted .tonteed a jet oi water into .the admission conduit ot the engine, means for niaintainingsaidendless conduit and said branch pipe iilledwith water, said meansV comprising a constant-level tank the constant level of which is at the same level as saidnozzle, means governing in said endless conduit the vflow of water produced by said centrifugal pump element, a throttle valve on said engine admission conduit7 a valveV operating to regulate said governing means, a connection between said valves whereby said governing means adjusts the rate of supply oit the water to said nozzle in accordance with the varyingpositions of said throttle valve,and a cock in said branch pipe for obtaining a particular constant rate of supply ofthe water to said nozzle in accordance with given positions Aof said cock. v

3. Apparatus for humidifying the charge passing to internal combustion engines comprisinga pump casing, a centrifugal pumping element within said casing, a pipe forming an endless conduit with said pump casing, means actuated by the engine for driving said centrifugal pumping element, a branch pipe connected to said conduit, a nozzle at the free end of said branch pipe adapted to feed a jet of waterinto the admission conduit ot the engine, a transversally sliding valve in said endless con-V duit adapted to more or less close the cross sectional area of said conduit, pipe circuits connecting said endless conduit to the casing of said sliding valve whereby the valve is operated by the flow of water produced by said centrifugal pumping element, means for maintaining said endless conduit said branch pipe and said pipe circuits filled with water, a throttle valve on said engine admission conduit, a valve in said pipe circuit and a connection between said throttle valve'and said last mentioned valve whereby said sliding valve is adjusted so that the supply et water to said nozzle is in accordance with Vthe varying positions of the throttle valve.

4. Apparatus for humidifying the charge passing to internal combustion engines comprising a centrifugal pump, a pipe forming iiO Water into the admission conduit of theV engine, a constant level water tank lfor maintaining said endless conduit and said branch pipe filled with Water, the level of the water in said tank being the same as that of the oriiice of said jet, means governing in said endless conduit the flow of water produced by said centrifugal pump, a throttle valve on said engine admission conduit, a valve operating to regulate said governing means, and a connection between said valves whereby said governing means adjusts the rate of supply of the water to' said nozzle in accordance with the varying positions of said throttle valve.

In witness whereof I have signed this specication.

ANTOINE ECUREUX. 

